gypsies are kings at demidov
by Barnaby Thompson
Much of the time I spent at Demidov has stayed in the memory only as a blur of whirling skirts, strumming guitars, the clacking and snapping of fingers and the occasional whoop, thanks to the wild gypsy trio with which my dining companion and I became firm friends by the end of the evening. But if I concentrate hard, certain things swim into focus that enable me to recommend this restaurant heartily. Demidov has a fairly unprepossessing exterior that gives no indication of the elegance of what's inside. Our first thought was that it was going to be a bit New Russian, but in fact the tables, chairs and decoration have been tastefully done. The restaurant also does the simple things well: You don't get hassled to order the second you've sat down, our waitress knew the details of the menu, the wine list includes pointers as to what goes well with what, but avoids being pretentious in the process, and the food comes promptly but not too much so. Since we were in a joint that goes for the "Old Russia" feel - more successfully than Staraya Derevnya, which it resembles - we had to go for the vodka (75 rubles for a shot of Russky Standart) and pickled vegetables (150 rubles). Two confirmed garlic lovers obviously had no complaints here. The Demidov salad (280 rubles) was chicken and tongue based, palatable but unremarkable. At this point the gypsies struck up, and although my instinctive reaction to live restaurant music is to start hurling bread rolls, we were bewitched almost instantly. Our appreciation encouraged them to move closely and serenade us personally, which normally has me crawling under the table but which on this occasion had me buying them a round of vodkas - an incident of largesse on my part unlikely ever to be repeated. By the time the "duck for two people" (580 rubles) arrived, we were in such a good mood that anything would have tasted delicious. For the record, however, the duck was excellent, along with the vegetables it came with and the extra boiled potatoes (80 rubles a portion). Perhaps the band is a cunning ploy on the part of Demidov's management, for my hair whitened slightly when I looked at the bill the following morning and remembered how we had plundered the menu. Maybe the gypsy lady had added a mystical potion to my wine (Patriarche Merlot, 700 rubles) which led me to order espressos (60 rubles each) two glasses of Jameson's Irish whiskey (150 rubles each) and a Balmoral Panatella (550 rubles). As it happens, we were celebrating, but I didn't realize until later quite to what extent. What the hell. When the band accompanies you to the coat check - to the bewilderment of a party of French tourists who were coming the other way - and your dining companion starts doing what looks like the fandango, you know you've been treated well. Demidov, 14 Nab. Fontanki. Tel: 272-37-91, 272-91-81. Dinner for two with wine, around 2,100 rubles ($70). Dinner for two with everything else, including vodka for the band, 3,155 ($112). Major credit cards accepted, which is just as well.
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